1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shutter panel. More particularly, it relates to a shutter panel in which a plurality of slats is connected in an aligned manner to be freely bendable by means of hinge mechanisms.
2. Disclosure of the Prior Art
A shutter for opening and closing an aperture of a processing chamber installed with mechanical tools or an entrance of a building has already been proposed in an invention filed as Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-292689, and an embodiment thereof is a shutter of an arrangement as shown in FIG. 12.
In such an arrangement, both right and left ends of the shutter panel (10) obtained by connecting a plurality of slats (12) in an aligned manner to be freely bendable are held by guide rails (19) in a freely sliding manner, wherein an inner tube (16b) having a circular section and serving as a hinge member projects from one longer side of each slat (12) while an outer tube (16a) having a C-shaped section projects out from the other side of the slat (12). The outer tube (16a) can be outwardly fitted onto the inner tube (16b) in a freely rotating manner. The slat (12), the inner tube (16b) and the outer tube (16a) are integrally formed of a synthetic resin material.
With this arrangement, respective adjoining slats (12) are connected in a freely bendable manner by fitting the outer tube (16a) of one of the slats (12) to the inner tube (16b) of an oppositely disposed another slat (12) to be freely rotating. By sequentially performing these connecting processes, it is possible to complete the shutter panel (10) in which a plurality of slats (12) is connected in a freely bendable manner. When these right and left ends of the shutter panel (10) are held by a pair of guide rails (19) that are oppositely disposed at the aperture or the entrance, the aperture or the entrance may be closed and opened freely by means of the shutter panel (10).
However, since the slats (12), inner tubes (16b) and outer tubes (16a) were integrally formed of a synthetic resin material in the above prior art, the integrally molded body will shrink as a whole at the time of cooling and hardening of the resin immediately after the molding. Accumulation of shrinkage of all parts of the slats (12), the inner tubes (16b) and the outer tubes (16a) will easily lead to occurrence of dimensional errors, warpage or local irregularities in thickness of the entire integrally molded body. Accompanying such warpage or irregularities in thickness, it may happen that the outer tubes (16a) and inner tubes (16b) of adjoining slats (12) may not fit in a coaxial manner at high accuracy so as to prevent smooth relative rotation of the inner tubes (16b) and outer tubes (16a). Drawbacks were accordingly caused in that respective adjoining slats (12) could not be freely bend or in that the shutter panel (10) could not be smoothly opened and closed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shutter panel in which respective the longer sides of adjoining slats that are made of synthetic resin are connected by means of hinge mechanisms to be freely bendable, wherein smooth bending of the respective slats that are connected by the hinge mechanisms is enabled such that the shutter panel can be smoothly opened and closed by reducing warpage or irregularities in thickness of the slats or the hinge members for connecting these slats.
The shutter panel according to the present invention, which has been made for achieving the above objects, is characterized in that the hinge mechanisms include one hinge member and another hinge member, wherein each hinge member has a connecting groove that is opened outwardly, wherein the longer sides of the slats are fitted and coupled into and engaged with the connecting grooves respectively.
By fitting and coupling one of the longer sides of the slat with connecting groove of one of the hinge members while by fitting and coupling the other longer side of the slat with connecting groove of another hinge member, both hinge members are coupled to the both sides of the slat. By sequentially connecting a plurality of slats by using the hinge mechanisms included of both of these hinge members, the shutter panel is completed.
Since the respective hinge members and slats are constituted as separate members, warpage or local irregularities in thickness may be reduced that were caused through cooling and shrinkage after molding when compared to the above-described prior art in which all of these parts were molded in an integral manner.
Since warpage or irregularities in thickness of the respective parts owing to shrinkage by cooling may be prevented, it is further possible to prevent surfaces of the slats from slightly becoming wavy in case the slats are formed of transparent resin material, the transparency of the slats may be improved by reducing indiscriminate scattering of light hitting on the slats.
Because of the above arrangement, the present invention exhibits the following unique effects.
Since the slats and the hinge members are constituted as separate parts, the degree of shrinkage by cooling of resin at the time of molding can be reduced when compared to the prior art in which they were integrally molded so as to reduce warpage and local irregularities in thickness of the respective parts. Accordingly, respective adjoining slats may be connected by the hinge members to be smoothly bendable and warpage or torsion in the entire shutter panel may be prevented, and it is possible to smoothly open and close the shutter panel.
Other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings and appended claims.